This invention relates to an improved lubrication system for lubricating a bearing, piston and cylinder and more particularly but not by way of limitation to a walking beam compressor used in conjunction with a walking beam oil pump. The compressor used for compressing low pressure natural gas.
In a walking beam compressor which is activated by the motion of a walking beam of a walking beam oil pump, the lubrication of bearings, piston and inner cylinder wall of the compressor is extremely important. Natural gas which is compressed provides a foreign environment which dilutes and dissolves the oil lubricants. This causes a critical lubrication problem greatly reducing the wear life of the bearings, piston, piston rings and cylinder wall.
In the past, lubrication has been introduced by drip feed around the top of a piston shaft with the oil circulating downwardly along the length of the piston shaft saturating a felt oil retaining wiper mounted on top of the piston. The wiper introduces oil along the sides of the cylinder wall as the piston is raised and lowered in the cylinder. While the wiper may provide adequate lubrication there was no system for providing improved hydrostatic lubrication around the upper bearing used for supporting the piston shaft. This problem is multiplied when the compressor is used as a double acting system. Quite often the seals in the upper bearing are starved for adequate lubrication causing the loss of seals, increased bearing wear and accordingly down time with high maintenance costs.
In the following U.S. patents various types of compressor lubrication systems are described. They are U.S. Pat. No. 729,537 to Buffum, U.S. Pat. No. 754,121 to Brush, U.S. Pat. No. 832,956 to Castelnau, U.S. Pat. No. 2,166,857 to Bugatti, U.S. Pat. No. 2,317,004 to Wallgren et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,665,901 to Patterson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,763 to Wallis. None of these prior art patents address the problem of natural gas walking beam compressor lubrication nor do they describe the unique features and advantages of the improved lubrication system for the upper bearing of a walking beam compressor for providing hydrostatic lubrication to the bearing and seals along with introducing excess oil to the top of the compressor.